LONDON, Ontario -- Philadelphia Flyers winger Wayne Simmonds, who is black, had a banana thrown at him from the stands on Thursday night during a 4-3 exhibition loss to the Detroit Red Wings.

As Simmonds took the first shot in the shootout, a banana came flying into his path as he skated in on Detroit goalie Jordan Pearce.

"I don't know if it had anything to do with the fact I'm black," Simmonds, a 23-year-old Toronto native, said. "I certainly hope not. When you're black, you kind of expect (racist) things. You learn to deal with it."

NHL commissioner Gary Bettman condemned the act. In a statement from New York on Friday, he said, "We have millions of great fans who show tremendous respect for our players and for the game. The obviously stupid and ignorant action by one individual is in no way representative of our fans or the people of London, Ontario."